The Painting Pool

This is family drama full of emotions, warmth and love. Mentally retarded couple,Reza and Maryam, is struggling to survive in contemporary time of Iran. For them, daily living is a challenge. They face hurdle in minor tasks such as crowing road, cooking, walking also even expressing their thoughts. They do their best to keep warmth of love in their relationships. Problems in life grows while nurturing their son, as it starts going to school and needs healthy, physically fit parents. The film takes a turn when Reza has to slap mischievous son and son walks out to teacher's house. Couple is working in pharmaceutical company in packaging division. Unfortunate layoffs make it difficult for him to find suitable job. He chooses delivery man in food retail. Many emotional scenes, background score and powerful acting talent of Shahab Hosseini have made this milestone in Iranian cinema.

A great movie about parents with disabilities, who make every effort to raise their son so that he doesn't lack

Iranian films. Sometimes disjointed and sparse at the beginning and maybe a bit slow but most can create a powerful and impacting ending. This is another fine example of such a one. Story of a normal boy being raised by two disabled parents that nearly childlike as he is. Great interaction with all involved.

Painting Pool is a delicate movie with multiple layers. On the surface, it shows the simple happy, yet very challenging life of a couple with some mental disabilities. Frustration of their ten-year old son about disabilities of his parents adds to the complications. The movie carefully shows how the lower and middle classes of the society suffer from consequences of international political power struggles and how while the resulting pressures affect relationships of normal couples, the main two adult characters, despite their disabilities, very maturely keep supporting each other. They are well aware of their disabilities, have accepted themselves and each other as they are, and have come to peace with it in their social life. Later into the movie we realize that a deep understanding of a very simple cliche advice that someone has given them on their wedding day and its daily practice in their life is one main reason behind their mature healthy relationship.

At a more hidden layer I believe the movie is not just about the challenges of mentally different people rather, it shows the complications that families face when parents are not enough for children, one way or another. They could be mentally different and poor in a society that is breaking apart, or can be well-educated immigrants with more than enough income, but an accent that causes their children feel embarrassed to present them as parents. The frustration and loneliness of the kids and frustrations, sadness, and heartbreak of the parents are very nicely shown in the movie. Despite all the complications and frustrations, emotional bounds are there; they miss each other and get worried for each other while they try to find peace in their hearts...

In my opinion Maziar Miri has done a great job. The cast plays very well, and in particular Negar Javaherian shines with her very natural believable attractive performance.

It was so true, a computation between tragedy and art. Watch this movie alone with full attention.